Shadow Dancing (song) explained

Shadow Dancing
Cover:Andy Gibb g (3).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Andy Gibb
Album:Shadow Dancing
Released:April 1978
Recorded:December 1977/February 1978
Studio:Criteria (Miami)
Genre:Disco
Length:4:33 (album Version)
3:57 (single version)
6:07 (special disco version)
Label:RSO Records
Producer:Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Prev Title:(Love Is) Thicker Than Water
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:An Everlasting Love
Next Year:1978

"Shadow Dancing" is a disco song performed by English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb. The song was released in April 1978 as the lead single by RSO Records from his second studio album of the same name. The song reached number one for seven consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. It was written by Andy and his older brothers, Barry, Maurice and Robin Ribb and Albhy Galuten (who also produced this song) arranged the song with Barry Gibb. While Andy Gibb would have three more Top 10 hits in the U.S., this would be his final chart-topping hit in the United States. The song became a platinum record.

Song development

The song was written by Andy and his brothers (Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb) in Los Angeles, while the trio of brothers were working on the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.[1] "And one night," Andy would recall, "while we were relaxing, we sat down and we had to start getting tracks together for the album" (also titled Shadow Dancing, which would eventually hit #7 on the U.S. album charts). "So we literally sat down and in ten minutes, we had a group going, (singing) the chorus part. As it says underneath the song, we all wrote it, the four of us."[2]

Release

According to Billboard's Book Of Number One Hits, Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the U.S. pop charts to have his first three singles hit the number-one spot. It remained in the top spot for seven straight weeks from 17 June to 29 July 1978, keeping "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty from reaching the top spot. On 5 August it was replaced by The Rolling Stones with their hit "Miss You." Additionally, "Shadow Dancing" was listed by Billboard as being the number one single of 1978. The song peaked at number eleven on the soul chart[3] and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States alone.[4] Cash Box particularly praised the "solid arrangement of strings, horns, [and] disco-funk guitar work."[5] Record World predicted that "this rather hushed dance record should be [Gibbs'] third straight hit."[6]

The single had three different B-sides. The US version's "Let It Be Me" and the European version's "Too Many Looks In Your Eyes" were both from Gibb's previous album Flowing Rivers, while the Italian release featured "Fool for a Night" from the Shadow Dancing album.

In July that year, Gibb performed "Shadow Dancing" at the Jai-Alai Fronton Studios in Miami, when Barry, Robin and Maurice unexpectedly joined him on stage, and sang this song with him. It was the first time that all four brothers performed together in concert.[7]

Personnel

Chart history

Weekly charts

Charts (1978–1979)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50)[9] 22
Brazilian Singles Chart[10] 1
Canada (RPM) Top Singles[11] 1
Canada (RPM) Adult Contemporary[12] 1
Germany (Media Control Charts)[13] 44
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[15] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[17] 42
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 1
US Billboard Easy Listening Charts8
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles11
US Cash Box Top 100[19] 1
US Radio & Records1
US Record World1

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)Rank
Australia (KMR)[20] [21] 60
Belgium (Ultratop 50)30
Canada (RPM)[22] 2
New Zealand [23] 14
Norway (VG-lista)10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)17
US Billboard Hot 1001
US Cash Box [24] 3

All-time charts

Cover version

"Shadow Dancing" was included on the album Hail Satin released in 2021 by the Dee Gees (an alter ego of the Foo Fighters). Lead vocals on this cover were sung by Taylor Hawkins.[26]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beegees/78.html Gibb Songs 1978
  2. Book: Bronson, Fred. The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Fifth. October 2, 2003. Billboard Books. 978-0823076772. 485.
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 229.

  4. Billboard Vol. 90, No. 34. Grein. Paul. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. August 26, 1978. June 8, 2012.
  5. News: CashBox Singles Reviews. April 15, 1978. 46. Cash Box. 2022-01-01.
  6. Record World. April 15, 1978. 2023-02-15. Hits of the Week. 1.
  7. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6899 Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing at Songfacts.com
  8. Book: Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. David Kent. 0-646-11917-6. 1993. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W..
  9. Web site: Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing . ultratop.be . 1 January 2015.
  10. Web site: Songs Written by the Gibb Family on the International Charts - Part 3 . brothersgibb.org . 1 January 2015.
  11. CAN Charts > Andy Gibb. RPM. 2013-05-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20131113032736/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=lom9g0phiq6oodrasp5rdpf9a7&q1=Andy+Gibb&q2=&interval=20. 2013-11-13. dead.
  12. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1978-07-15 . 2019-06-24.
  13. Web site: Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing . https://web.archive.org/web/20150406064749/http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=Andy+Gibb&title=Shadow+Dancing&country=de . dead . April 6, 2015 . officialcharts.de . 1 January 2015.
  14. Web site: Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing . charts.nz . 1 January 2015.
  15. Web site: Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing . norwegiancharts.com . 1 January 2015.
  16. Web site: Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing . swedishcharts.com . 1 January 2015.
  17. Web site: UK Charts > Andy Gibb. Official Charts Company. 2013-05-20.
  18. [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p13045|pure_url=yes}} US Charts > Andy Gibb]. Billboard. 2013-05-20.
  19. Web site: Cashbox Top 100 . June 3, 1978 . Cashbox Magazine Archives . 1 January 2015 .
  20. Web site: Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978. Kent Music Report. Imgur.com. 8 January 2022.
  21. Web site: Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . Australian-charts.com . 2017-05-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 . 2016-06-02.
  22. Web site: Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978 . . 17 July 2013 . . July 31, 2017.
  23. Web site: End of Year Charts 1978 . . October 29, 2017 .
  24. Web site: Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1978 . October 29, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180929211008/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1978YESP.html . September 29, 2018 . dead .
  25. Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart. Billboard. 10 December 2018.
  26. News: Schube . Will . July 27, 2021 . The Dee Gees Release Video for "Shadow Dancing" . uDiscoverMusic . February 24, 2022.